Their hydroids live together in upright stolonal or sympodial colonies, and their gonophores are pedunculate free-roaming medusae.

[1] The relationships of this fairly small but distinctive radiation to other members of the order Leptothecata are not well understood at present.

They have a diaphragm and a conical operculum apically to the hydrothecal wall, formed either by this wall or by separated embayments of the hydrothecal margin, with a lining of triangular plates.

They lack a gastric peduncle, ocelli (making them effectively blind) and excretory pores, and have 4 simple radial canals and in adults at least 16 statocysts.

[1] Five genera of Lovenellidae are generally recognized as valid if Cirrholovenia and Eucheilota are merged therein, as is widely done these days.